Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Hero's Circumstances (3)
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Kalt's imposing figure, larger than a regular kobold and wielding a sword in one hand, left Nellis flustered.
'Why is another Kobold Warrior showing up!?'
She had clearly heard from Scarlet and Aria that Kalt had taken down a Kobold Warrior just yesterday.
But a Kobold Warrior was undeniably an elite specimen.
She had assumed it wouldn't reappear so easily after being defeated once, yet here Nellis was, facing one down.
She didn't even consider the possibility of losing to it.
Aria's blessing was still in effect, after all.
Still, there was no doubt it was stronger than a regular kobold, and that gnawed at Nellis inwardly.
'N-No! No need to freak out! I'm a whole new me, trained under Kalt's guidance! A mere Kobold Warrior? Pfft, it's nothing!'
"Nellis."
"Y-Yes! Kalt!"
'Is Kalt going to take it on instead? Makes sense—there are three regular kobolds on top of the warrior...'
"I'll handle the three kobolds. You take the Kobold Warrior solo."
Nellis's hopeful assumptions, mustered up with forced courage, shattered completely at Kalt's words.
"I'll... I'll do my best!"
Fine then. Might as well give it a shot.
Pushing down her anxiety, Nellis charged straight at the Kobold Warrior.
Any ordinary kobold would have been sliced before even noticing her rush, but the sharper-sensed Kobold Warrior detected her ambush.
"Haaah!"
Nellis closed in with a shout and swung her sword down.
Clang!
-Grrrrr!
But the Kobold Warrior blocked her strike on instinct, foiling the surprise attack.
-Grk!
The three nearby goblins noticed her presence too and moved to flank her.
Slash!
The moment Nellis charged, Kalt stuck close behind her. His sword sliced off the arm of the kobold lunging at her side.
He spun gracefully behind the Kobold Warrior, then darted to the opposite flank.
Riding the momentum of his rotation, Kalt's blade followed up, lopping off the neck of another kobold mid-attack on Nellis.
'Wha—?!'
From Nellis's view, the kobolds trying to hit her from both sides lost arms and heads in an instant—she saw it all up close.
She knew Kalt was amazing, but this was her first time witnessing him erase monsters at such blistering speed.
Shocked as she was, Nellis refocused on the Kobold Warrior immediately.
'Kalt cleared the way so I can concentrate on the warrior! Gotta make it count!'
"Raaah!"
Pouring more mana into her body, Nellis boosted her physical prowess even further.
Screeech—the grinding of metal on metal rang out as the kobold's sword was pushed back.
-Gruk!
As an elite, the Kobold Warrior had a touch of cunning.
Rather than lock blades with a stronger foe, it backed off to create distance for its next strike.
Once it had enough space, it swung for Nellis's neck.
Nellis ducked swiftly, evading the blade.
"Iyaaah!"
From her crouched position, she sprang up like a coiled spring, thrusting her sword at the Kobold Warrior's heart.
Squelch!
Her blade pierced its chest dead-on, spearing the heart.
'I... I did it!'
Feeling the telltale give of a pierced heart, Nellis let out a sigh of relief, certain she'd felled the Kobold Warrior.
That was the moment it happened.
-Kraaah!
Even with its heart impaled, the Kobold Warrior wasn't dead yet. It lashed out in a final spasm.
"Huh? Gack!"
Its free fist smashed into Nellis's forearm, sending her flying.
"Nellis!"
Seeing her soar through the air, Scarlet and Aria cried her name and rushed over.
"Ow... arm! Ugh...!"
She'd flown far, but Nellis scrambled up quickly, rubbing the struck spot with her other hand.
Realizing it wasn't a serious injury, Scarlet halted and sighed in relief.
"Haaah... You idiot! Don't let your guard down! You're making us worry!"
"That's harsh! I got launched! A-Aria! Heal! Heal me up!"
"Right away! O God! Lay your healing hand upon this one!"
Aria cast her healing blessing without delay.
"Aah~ I can feel it mending~."
"Nellis, you okay?"
"K-K-Kalt!"
As Kalt approached, Nellis stiffened up.
'Wh-what do I do? I was trying to show off, but I totally botched the finish!'
Embarrassed and tense, she glanced at him cautiously.
"S-Sorry."
She apologized right away.
"Nah, as long as you're safe. Just don't drop your guard until you've finished them off next time, got it?"
"Yes..."
"That thrust was spot-on, though. You'll get strong in no time, Nellis."
"K-Kalt...!"
To Nellis, starved for praise in her lazy party, Kalt's words were like refreshing rain on parched soil.
"Yes! Next time, no slacking—I'll finish it clean!"
"That's the spirit. Here, your sword."
On his way over, Kalt handed her the blade he'd pulled from the Kobold Warrior's chest.
"Thanks. You too, Aria."
With her wound healed by Aria's blessing, Nellis jumped to her feet energetically.
"Let's head out again! There are still plenty of kobolds left!"
"Sure."
"Sheesh, talk about boundless energy."
"Hee hee, that's what makes Nellis special."
Around 4 p.m.
Nellis's party halted their kobold hunt and returned to the village.
On the way back, Kalt pondered two things.
One was the kobolds.
The other was Nellis.
No matter how he sliced it, there were way too many kobolds appearing.
In his experience, he'd never seen a region spawn this many.
And on top of that, they'd encountered elite Kobold Warriors two days in a row.
This was highly unusual.
'Could there be a top-tier specimen nearby?'
Top-tier specimen.
For goblins, that'd be a Goblin King.
These alphas could boost the numbers of lesser monsters just by existing, thanks to their potent mana.
They could spawn minions endlessly, like a living dungeon—hence the nickname.
But their power made appearances vanishingly rare.
'I'll look into that later...'
Kalt shifted to his next thought.
Nellis's performance today.
Especially her reaction facing the Kobold Warrior—and what happened when it struck back in its death throes.
Putting it together, Kalt refined his theory.
'Nellis's issue ties to the opponent's strength.'
During their spar, and now against the warrior.
She tried to hide it, but her anxiety leaked through.
'Maybe talk to her after dinner.'
He had a hypothesis about her problem and planned to draw it out tonight for some counseling.
But trouble arose.
Back at the inn, after consulting Aria and getting a quick update from Scarlet over dinner, Kalt approached Nellis.
"Nellis, got a question."
"Huh? What is it, Kalt?"
"This is just a hunch, but... do you—"
Before he could finish, Nellis flinched hard, eyes darting everywhere.
"Ahh! Kalt! I'm feeling kinda wiped out today! I wanna crash early! Rest is super important, you know! Sorry, but can we talk tomorr—tomorrow? Night!"
She blurted it out, flailing her arms, then bolted to her room like a shot.
Watching her go, Scarlet and Aria chimed in.
"She totally bailed."
"Haha... Guess Nellis isn't ready yet."
"So she has her own issues too, huh?"
"Ah."
Scarlet and Aria froze.
"P-Problems? Everyone has those, right?"
"Kalt? I'm sure she'll open up on her own. Can you give her time?"
"Aria! I was gonna play it off..."
"That was way too obvious."
"Mm."
Even Scarlet had to admit Nellis's reaction—and their responses—were airtight.
No arguing that.
Seeing this, Kalt shelved pushing her tonight.
'Whatever, even if not today, like Aria said, a couple days and she'll come around.'
Among Nellis, Scarlet, and Aria, Nellis had warmed to him first.
With two weeks left in the village, he wasn't in a rush.
Dinner wrapped up, and Nellis's crew headed off to wait for him.
'Maybe get started with Nadia a bit earlier tonight.'
Since their first time together, Kalt had been bedding Nadia daily.
She was picking up his techniques nicely.
Starting with basic fellatio, then cowgirl where she rocked her hips herself. Yesterday, side-lying missionary with kisses.
'What to teach her tonight...'
As he mulled it over,
Knock knock knock. Someone rapped on his door.
'Only one who'd visit now... must be Nellis.'
Kalt figured he'd be even later with Nadia than planned—a twinge of regret.
"Come in."
"Kalt..."
"Yeah?"
Then something unexpected happened to him.
It wasn't Nellis who entered.
"D-Do you have a moment?"
It was Lunia, face flushed and tense.